Often, I don’t know what I’m worried about until I try to go to sleep, or when I wake up in the middle of the night and find my mind cycling through various “concerns” or thoughts. I may not even register these thoughts as “worry” but when it becomes hard to go back to sleep, it’s as though the Lord is nudging me…”Beckie, give these thoughts to me. Talk to me about it.” I might resist because I’m too tired, but the times when I yield to this nudging, I’m nearly always grateful in the end. God wants to hear what is troubling me. (And He wants to know what’s troubling you.) Yes, He knows already. But there is something about talking to Him about it, or journaling, that gives us greater access to Him and gives Him greater access to us. I guess like any relationship. Knowing and being known by Him is truly a gift. This happened recently, and when I was done listing in my journal all my worries, I stopped and waited. Nothing felt different. So I opened my Bible. I love it when God brings a verse to mind, but sometimes I don’t hear one. When that happens, I open the Psalms and just start reading. Often I will read several Psalms in a row, and the more troubled I am, the more these words are packed with meaning. This time I read a few Psalms in a row and nothing stood out, so I kept reading. Suddenly, I came across these words from Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” I knew immediately that these were the words I needed for that moment. Those words brought peace and hope, almost instantly. I’ve read these words many times and often they were just words. But, this time, they were food. God used these words to untangle the knots of worry inside of me. Nothing had changed in my circumstances, and yet everything had changed inside of me. I didn’t know how, but I knew it would all be ok. All I needed to do was wait. God’s word truly is “alive and active.” (Hebrews 4:12) It can satisfy in a way that other distractions cannot. I can scroll through social media and possibly feel momentarily happier because of a funny reel or pictures of cute animals. But when I’m done scrolling, I don’t feel better. I most often feel more empty. God’s word, alternatively, is worth scrolling through. It makes me feel full. I leave my time of scrolling the Psalms with a new hope and encouragement.

Next time you are down, worried, or lonely, give it a try. Instead of scrolling through social media, try scrolling through the Psalms. Keep scrolling until you find the word God has for you, for that moment. His word won’t disappoint you.